The newly discovered peptides extracted from cardiac atria, atrial natriuretic factors (ANFs), when administered parenterally cause renal hemodynamic changes and natriuresis. The nephron sites and cellular mechanism accounting for profound increase in Na' excretion in response to ANFs are not yet clarified. In the present study we investigated whether synthetic ANF peptide alters the reabsorption of Na' and reabsorption of solutes cotransported with Na' in the proximal tubules of rats.Synthetic ANF peptide consisting of 26 amino acids, 4 ag/kg body wt/h, or vehicle in controls, was infused to surgically thyroparathyroidectomized anesthetized rats. After determination of the fractional excretion (FE) of electrolytes (Na', K+, P,, Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3), the kidneys were removed and luminal brush border membrane vesicles (BBMVs) were prepared from renal cortex. Solute transport was measured in BBMVs by rapid filtration techniques. Infusion of ANF peptide increased FENa, FEp,, and FEHCO,; but FEc., FEK, and FEMg were not changed. The increase in FENa was significantly correlated, on the one hand, with increase of FEp, (r = 0.9, n = 7; P < 0.01) and with increase of FEHCO3 (r = 0.89, n = 7; P < 0.01). On the other hand, FEN. did not correlate with FEK, FEca, or with FEM.. The Na+ gradient-dependent uptake of Pi by BBMVs prepared from renal cortex of rats receiving ANF infusion was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased (-25%), whereas the Na+ gradient-dependent uptake of L-13H]proline and of D-I3Higlucose or the diffusional uptake of 22Na+ were not changed. ANF-elicited change in FEn showed a close inverse correlation with decrease of Na+-dependent Pi uptake by BBMVs isolated from infused rats (r = 0.99, n = 7; P < 0.001). Direct addition of ANF to BBMVs in vitro did not change the Na+ gradient-dependent Pi uptake. In rats infused with ANF, the rate of amiloride-sensitive Na+-H+ exchange across the brush border membrane (BBM) was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased (-40%), whereas the diffusional 22Na+ uptake (0.5 min) and the equilibrium (120 min) uptake of 22Na+ were not changed. The inhibition of Na+-H+ exchange after ANF was likely due to alteration of the BBM antiporter itself, in that the H+ conductance of BBMVs was not increased. We conclude that synthetic ANF (a) decreases tubular Na+ reabsorption linked to reabsorption of HCO3 in proximal tubules, and (b) inhibits proximal tubular reabsorption of Pi coupled to Na+ reabsorption, independent of secretion and/or